


Stay a Little Longer

by eelora



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels, Chance Meetings, Falling In Love, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Haikyuu!! Fantasy Exchange 2018, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 07:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16471733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eelora/pseuds/eelora
Summary: For over two decades, Keiji has called Heaven his home.It only takes him two days to realise home was something much farther than that.





	Stay a Little Longer

**Author's Note:**

> For @noel-ish on tumblr!  
> This is also my submission for the fantasy haikyuu exchange! Although I have based this off angels in Christianity, please take no offense, as I have taken many creative liberties.  
> Enjoy~

 

_The room was bathed in golden sunlight, reflecting off white marble pillars and the soft dew drops that glittered across the ivy climbing up the walls. Engraved bronze statues sat placed in a circle around room, telling the story of ancient history; the birth of God and his angel servants._

_In the center of the room, a faint, viridescent glow appeared as it was summoned. The light quickly began to expand, growing and shifting rapidly into a human-like form. On one knee, a male figure bowed low - brown wings speckled with pure white feathers curling slightly around his bare body. Ruffled raven locks gleamed beneath the Holy light of his halo._

_“Young Angel of Barachiel, congratulations. God has blessed thee to descend to the human world, where you, Akaashi Keiji, have been assigned to wish duty in a very fascinating location upon Earth.” A musical voice spoke. The shimmer of light took on a orchid hue in response. “Channel the blessings that Barachiel has used to give you life, and use it to complete your tasks. Learn to understand, listen, and empathise with the humans. We believe you have the capabilities to fulfill your assigned position.”_

_“Your Lordship,” His mellow tone echoed, “Thank you for putting your faith in me.”_

*******

“Excuse me. Ma’am, do you have a moment?” The Wish Angel - now clothed in a stark white button down and slacks - took a step back as the woman abruptly pushed past him. He looked around. “Excuse me, sir?” He called again, trying to catch the attention of the pedestrians bustling around him.

People barely spared him a glance, and the young angel briefly wondered if he had yet to turn visible in the human world. Stretching out his hand, he watched as a group of people deftly dodged him, eyes narrowed as they continued on. _How odd._

He stood there, feeling even more lost than before. He had spent the last two decades meticulously studying and preparing for this job, only for things to wrong the moment he stepped foot on Earth. Keiji could hear the cries of souls wishing for things left and right, but each and every one of them kept ignoring him the moment he approached.

Did people _not_ want their wishes granted?

The raven stepped forward as a particularly desperate call resonated within his mind, but a cry from behind had him startled.

“Oh, _God!_ ”

At the sound of Father’s title, Keiji froze, dread filling his soul as he turned slowly. Not even three minutes into delving into the human world and the Archangels were calling him back in disappointment. “I apologise for my incompetence, Your L-” he began, cutting himself off when he was met with unfamiliar golden orbs, “Oh?”

The man before him looked excessively worried, placing a firm hand upon Keiji’s shoulder as he spoke, “Hey, are you okay?”

“Pardon me?” he furrowed his brow slightly, wracking through his mind as he questioned if those words were a form of greeting. Perhaps a different kind of ‘how are you’. The stranger’s wide orbs stared intently at him, full of question and curiosity. “I, yes? I believe I am quite fine.”

“But, you’re missing your shoes!” the other responded.

“My… shoes?” The raven looked down at the concrete, noticing how everyone else's feet were clad in varying types of material. He wiggled his toes. “I don’t have any.”

Almost instantly, he found a soft, fleecy fabric being wrapped around his neck - granting him a warmth he hadn’t realised he needed. He had barely noticed the chill in the air when he’d first arrived. “Well, you must be freezing then,” the decidedly good samaritan stated.

Reaching up, his hand grasped around the scarf, lifting it a little to cover more of his face. Inhaling deeply, a calming earthen scent wash over him, paired with the sweet undertones of vanilla and honeysuckle. A blush spread across his cheeks and he burrowed a little further into the scarf. “Thank you…?”

“Bokuto Koutarou,” the man filled in proudly, “You’re not from here, are you?” He smiled enigmatically. Keiji stiffened in defense at the cryptic tone, but wasn’t given a chance to respond when Bokuto leaned in close, whispering into his ear, “You’re an angel, right?”

He took a step back in disbelief. “Wh-How?”

The silver and black haired man threw his head back and laughed; full-bodied and baritone, “I’ve just always been able to tell!” he spoke as though that single sentence explained everything, but Keiji only found himself with more questions, “Come with me, we should find you some shoes! What was your name again?”

“I-It’s Akaashi Keiji,” he stuttered out as Bokuto grabbed him by the wrist and started to pull him down the sidewalk. Despite himself, Keiji couldn’t help but to scramble up to speed and follow.

The pair walked in silence, with Bokuto busy looking at street signs to ensure he was actually going the right way. Keiji, however, was wondering which questions to ask first. He felt conflicted - maybe he was being foolish for following a stranger who claimed that he lived with an angel, let alone knew that they existed. On the other hand, Bokuto seemed genuine. He was eager to help without even a hint of wanting something in return. So, despite himself, Keiji decided he could trust him for the time-being.

As they slow to a stop at a red light crossing, Keiji let out a deep breath he had been holding, the exhale mingling with the cold air and forming a light fog. The quiet bubble around them felt heavy - stretching out thinly until it popped, courtesy of the taller man.

“So... what brings you down here?” Bokuto finally asked, smiling widely at Keiji’s flat stare, “Supernaturals always have a reason for coming to Earth, you know.”

The red man turned green and people quickly start to filter around them as they took up a more leisurely pace to cross the road. Ahead of them, a large neon sign entry sign was flashing boldly at them. Keiji tugged on one end of the borrowed scarf, faintly feeling the material tightening around his throat. It felt like it was urging him to answer. “I was sent here to grant people’s wishes.”

The man didn’t even skip a beat, “Oh, so like a genie!”

He could feel his nose scrunch immediately in disdain at the association, “No. Nothing like a genie. Genies exist to atone for their greed and their sins from their human lives, although their existence is like a double-edged sword. I- _We’re_ nothing like that.”

His new acquaintance nodded, brows furrowing in what seemed to be deep thought. But not even a second later, the man was shrugging with a carefree smile. “I don’t really get it, but whatever.”

“Well, what about you?” Keiji pushed, “How could you tell I wasn’t human?”

The man’s eyes widened, the colour of his irises becoming even more prominent. It was then that the angel realised how unusual the pigment was with human eyes; the closest he could think of was a hazel shade. The longer he looked, the more that Bokuto’s eyes seemed to glow. “I’m a 6th generation seer,” He said, “I can’t do any cool divination stuff, but I can at least tell your kind apart from the humans.”

“I see…”

“So, are we good? Us supernaturals gotta stick together you know.” The broad-shouldered man was glancing over at him hopefully, and for a moment, Keiji could hear him whispering animatedly in the back of his mind. _[I want us to be friends!]_

Keiji sighed, feeling his whole body heave in resignation. “Do I have a choice?” he replied dryly. There was still a lot for him to learn.

*******

Shoes were not particularly comfortable, but Keiji could see the practicality in wearing them. After spending a few hours with Bokuto, he came to realise that the man contained boundless amounts of energy. This had, unfortunately, ended up with him being dragged around the large building full of small stores and boutiques.

Not matter the establishment they entered, Bokuto would always find something interesting to look at and consider buying. Keiji, having some knowledge upon the economy in the human world, talked him out of each and every unnecessary purchase. “If it’s not something you need, then perhaps your money would be better spent elsewhere.” He said patiently for the nth time that day.

Bokuto looked dejected for a moment, “I guess you’re right,” he said before brighting once more, “Let’s go to that store then!”

“Actually Bokuto-san, it seems to be getting quite late.” He notioned upward, where the fiery hues of the sunset were beginning to flood through the skylights of the mall. “Shouldn’t you be heading home?”

“Oh, yeah! I should! I’ll take you back to wherever you’re staying first!”

The raven paused at Bokuto’s tone of voice, suddenly losing all heart to tell the man he could ascend back up to Heaven each night for some peace of mind.

“If you don’t have anywhere to stay, then you can come stay with me! I even have a spare futon!” Bokuto seemed to jump at his lack of response, as if he had been preparing for it.

Immediately, the angel shook his head, “No, I couldn’t impose… besides, I have nothing to repay you with. You’ve already given me shoes, and along with allowing me to borrow your scarf, it’s more than enough.”

Deep lustrous yellow wavered moltenly at him, unblinking and full of anticipation. He noticed Bokuto’s bottom lip jut out slightly, childish in its manner but it made it difficult for Keiji to say no to it nonetheless. He couldn’t deny it; the sheer excitement and childish awe the Bokuto embodied was captivating. Not to mention, the man seemed to be far more wise than he seemed to let on.  He’d grown on him quickly.

Keiji hesitated, however, as _surely_ he was just taking advantage of Bokuto’s kindness by now.

“Please, Akaashi?” he tacked on forlornly.

Resolve broken, Keiji closed his eyes for a moment, internally kicking himself, before responding, “...Alright, but _only_ for one night.”

The salt-and-pepper haired man hooted in celebration, fistpumping wildly. “Yes! I promise you won’t regret it!”

Keiji stood by with a giddy feeling in his chest at the sight of Bokuto’s excitement. He sighed fondly.

Bokuto returned the smile with yet another blinding grin. “Let’s go!” He took ahold of Keiji’s elbow and motioned for him to follow. The raven did so obediently, finding himself getting dragged out of the large building, down a few blocks and several flights of stairs. They momentarily came to a stop to talk to a human standing in a small room behind a sheet of glass, before heading even further down, and boarding a strange, yet fascinating contraption a few minutes later.

He had read about these before.

“This is a train, isn’t it?” He said, hearing his companion hum in agreement. He gazed out of the window, watching as the lights inside the tunnel flashed by quickly - barely giving his eyes time to adjust, “We’re going quite fast.”

Bokuto leaned over his shoulder to look out of the window too, “Yeah! Trains are the fastest and most efficient mode of transport!”

Keiji wasn’t sure if that was entirely true, and decided to give his own opinion with a thoughtful mutter. “Really? I believe flying is probably the most efficient.”

The man frowned. “Akaashi… planes are only good for long distances. They’re also very expensive.”

“I meant with my own wings,” he corrected, “That would be the most efficient means of travelling.”

Bokuto burst out in laughter, earning a few hard glares from other passengers. He whacked Keiji on the back a few times, causing him to grimace at the discomfort to his hidden avian features. “I like the way you think, Akaashi. You’re so smart!”

“Hardly.” He wheezed in response.

For the rest of the train ride, Bokuto became distracted with something on his phone, and when questioned, revealed that he was scrolling through an extensive album of cute owl pictures. The rest of the 20 minute ride had the pair scooting closer together so that they could both see Bokuto’s phone screen, with the man himself explaining all the different breeds of owls, and how they could be really affectionate.

His chest puffed up, “And it’s even better since _I’m_ named after the great horned owl!” he revealed, pointing his thumb at himself with pride.

“That really is incredible, Bokuto-san.” He said, taking in all the information.

“You too! You’re named after the rufous-legged owl if we use katakana for your name instead of kanji!”

Keiji felt his heart do a little dance at the new knowledge. If he were to be any other flying creature, he would love to be an owl. Not only that, he smiled, “So, we match,” he said, “We both have owl names.”

A grin stretched across Bokuto’s face, displaying his clear elation at sharing a themed name with the angel. It stayed that way for the rest of the ride.

By the time the train stopped at the Bokuto’s station, the ache on his shoulders had been forgotten, and Keiji had become witness to a fair share of owl puns after Bokuto ran out of pictures to show him. The corners of his lips twitched with humour. Only, the broad-shouldered figure didn’t seem to notice his smile as he walked along the footpath, whistling a little tune.

It wasn’t until he reached a small complex that he stopped, opting to run up the stairs to the second floor and pull Keiji along with him. “Kuroo’s home, so you get to meet him right now! Sometimes he gets busy with his job and stays out for a long time though, so he won’t really get in your way,” he informed as he opened to door to the apartment, “I’m home~!”

“P-Pardon the intrusion…” his words turned into a yelp when Bokuto grabbed hold of his wrist once more and took him to the kitchen.

“So, Akaashi! Are you hungry?” the other asked. He began to navigate his way through the kitchen, listing off whatever food he found in the fridge and pantry.

“Not particularly,” he wasn’t sure he could stomach anything after the day he had. “I think I would rather just lay down for a bit.”

“Oh, okay! Well, you can go shower while I eat something then. The bathroom is down the hall to the left and my room is two doors down.” He pointed vaguely in the direction, “If you have any questions, just ask. Otherwise, make yourself at home!”

With a smile, Bokuto gently nudged Keiji in the direction of the bathroom, trailing after him. One glance inside the bathroom had him glance briefly at the foreign contraptions before swivelling around with an utterly bewildered expression.

“...actually, I do have a question,” he stated slowly, “How exactly does everything in the bathroom work?”

*******

Bokuto had insisted that he take the bed and of course, Keiji had no choice but to begrudgingly agree. Except now, some time past midnight, after the other man had done some kind of workout, eaten and showered, it seemed Bokuto had completely forgotten about the fact that someone was already using his bed. Drowsily, he’d stumbled across the room and had flopped down on the bed, falling asleep instantly.

The angel stiffened when his new friend hit the bed. Needless to say, he wasn’t quite used to such physical contact. He relaxed, eventually, when his body recognised that the closeness was not a threat. In fact, he was warm.

Keiji inched across the bed, huddling closer to the heat the Bokuto exuded. It seemed like all of a sudden, stream of others’ wishes became even more of a distant chatter in his mind, and he reveled in the near-silence. No place in Heaven, despite it’s eternal golden glow from the sun, had held the same kind of welcoming aura. It seemed almost clinical in comparison.

He lay there as long as he possibly could without moving, relishing in the silence. But after what felt like a few hours, he decided that he couldn’t stay still for much longer. There was an uncomfortable feeling that was like an itch in the back of his mind. He quietly slipped off the bed.

“Bokuto-san, please wake up.” He called softly.

The said man groaned as he felt a tap on his shoulder, lazily lifting his arm in attempt to push the offending hand away.

Cracking one eye open he cringed as he noted the time. “Akaashi, it’s four in the morning. I’ve only slept for two hours.”

“Yes, and is that not two hours of wasted time?”

“Akaashi… we humans need to sleep for at least eight hours or we’ll die.” His voice was muffled as he turned his head into his pillow.

The ethereal man stood up straighter, blinking owlishly. “Ah, of course. I suppose that does make sense.” He did vaguely recall reading something about sleep cycles and REM sleep during his extensive study about humans. He hesitated for another moment before heading to the door, “I will come back when you are well rested then.”

He watched as Bokuto’s breathing slowly evened out - chest rising and falling to a steady beat, an indicator that he was well and truly asleep.

Keiji tread quietly out of the room, and seated himself on the couch in the living room. In the sheer darkness of night and unable to rest, he worried that maybe he too much for Bokuto. That he was really just a nuisance to have around. He worried, about what the Dominions and Archangels were thinking. He hadn’t even thought about his mission for nearly the whole day.

They were probably disappointed in his lack of ability to care and fend for himself. Possibly even angered at his lack of commitment to the assignment.

The voices that had been pushed to the back of his mind suddenly increased in volume. Words of meaningless dreams and wishes that were made in a moment greed. They were nothing worth granting, but Keiji had to fight the urge to go and do exactly that, as if to make up for his shortcomings. Instead, his fingers tangled together, wringing out the tension - pressing and tugging with so much force his hands became sore.

At least the dull ache in his fingers took away from the insistent itch in his mind. The itch for him to leave and

The light flickered on in the room and footsteps approached from behind. Keiji lifted his head.

“Here.” A plate of tightly pressed rice in a peculiar shape appeared before him, along with a steaming cup. He followed the extended arm up to see Bokuto smiling tiredly at him, “It’s onigiri and green tea.”

He eyed the dish warily, and the other hummed in understanding. “I know that you’re probably not hungry, but,” he said, setting the plate down on the coffee table with a huff, “I think you should eat.”

Deciding that it was the least he could do for Bokuto’s hospitality, Keiji released the tight grip on his own fingers and reached for one of the balls. “Thank you for the meal.” He stated. He bit into the rice-ball, rolling the mouthful over his tongue and tasting a hint of sweetness along with a slight nuttiness - probably from the little black and white sesame seeds scattered in the rice. He swallowed the bite. “It’s good.”

Bokuto grinned sheepishly, settling into the couch beside him, “It’s, uh... store-bought.” Keiji moved across to make more room. The taller of the two took the throw blanket that was balled up at the end of the couch, and laid it across both their laps, “Is something wrong? Have I done something wrong already?” he asked quietly.

The younger angel looked up from his bite into the second piece of onigiri, cheeks bulging as his chewed slowly. “No, you have not done anything wrong. If anything, you have been far too kind,” he hesitated with his next words, “Earth has just been...a bit more than I had expected it to be.”

“You don’t like it here?”

“It’s just a little overwhelming; all the voices in my head, and the weight of the expectations.” He sighed and brushed a few stray strands of hair out of his eyes. “I need some time to adjust.”

Bokuto blinked, slowly to take in the words in his sleep deprived state. “You hear… voices?”

The angel froze for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle, “Ah, it helps me know which wishes deserve to be fulfilled.”

“Oh,” the human yawned, “That’s cool, ‘kaashi. How do you know which wishes to grant then?”

“If they’re desperate for it to be granted I suppose.” Keiji hummed, “It cannot include granting large sums of money, meddling with life or death, and forcing one’s love. That’s usually the parameters that Wish Angels work around.”

“Wish Angels…?” Bokuto parroted, voice tapering off into a soft huff.

“I am an Angel birthed from the Archangel Barachiel’s powers. He’s the Angel of Blessings and Protection, so it only makes sense that he take charge over the Guardian and Wish Angels.” He explained. Keiji went to continue, but when he turned to gauge Bokuto’s interest, he found the man sleeping; quietly snoring.

With a light sigh, he carefully slipped a pillow beneath the man’s head, and adjusted the throw blanket off his lap to completely cover the other man. Bokuto had completely ignored his own need for rest and had gone to comfort him. _How selfless_ , he thought. “Goodnight.” He whispered into the silence.

*******

The streets seemed less crowded than they had been yesterday. He had borrowed more clothes from Bokuto’s wardrobe, but the significant difference in their build had him almost drowning in the jacket he wore. It was cosy though, so he wasn’t complaining.

Bokuto had rushed off early in the morning, claiming he was late to a practice of some sort. So, he’d taken it upon himself to explore a little. He remembered the route that Bokuto had taken him yesterday, and was able to make his way back to the shopping district he had first appeared in.

He _may_ have charmed the ticket seller at the train station, but there had been no other choice. Now that he was less flustered than the day before, he could observe his surroundings with more clarity.

As he rounded the corner, an alluring smell hit him. It was aromatic and full-bodied, and he looked around for the source. His eyes landed on a quaint little establishment. It was a brick building, with a small awning across the length of it. In the window hung a chalkboard full of colourful art and calligraphy. The sign above it said ‘Little Crow’ with a chibi bird sitting in a teacup next to it.

Keiji thought it was endearing. He couldn’t help it though, he liked cute things, and everything about to small café screamed adorable. With conviction in his stride, he crossed the street and entered the café.

The ring of the bell had a few people turn their heads and look at him, but he ignored them in favour for looking around. The enticing smell was even stronger now, filling his senses and warming his soul. Colours were everywhere - every single wall was painted a different colour, and fairy lights were strung up around the whole café. Mismatched tables and chairs were set out on the floor, but it only added to the quirkiness of the store. Floating shelves lined the walls, styled endearingly with paraphernalia and soft toys.

“Welcome to Little Crow, how can I help you today?” a slender woman greeted. She stood behind the counter at the back of the shop with a small, but welcoming smile on her lips. Keiji approached slowly, still in awe of the tiny trinkets that filled the expanse of the shop. Her name tag said Shimizu Kiyoko.

“I…” he began, finally gaining his bearings, the wall behind the woman held even more chalkboards with cursive writing, “I’m really not too sure.”

She nodded, “Is there anything you prefer in particular? I may be able to offer you a recommendation.”

“Anything with honey would be nice.” he responded immediately, thinking of the sweet wines that were usually served up in Heaven. He recalled that it had once been compared to pure honey.

“Well, our chai tea becomes especially richer in taste when paired with honey. It’s typically called the sticky chai these days.” The woman offered.

He almost licked his lips at the suggestion. He wasn’t too sure what a chai was, but it sounded delicious. “That sounds just fine. I would like to try it.”

She tapped her finger on the screen a few times, “That will be ¥450.”

Keiji’s heart dropped and he held back a grimace - he’d completely forgotten that things cost money on Earth. He patted the jacket pockets in case Bokuto had been forgetful enough to leave so spare change in there. Nothing. He prepared himself to say goodbye to a drink he would never get the opportunity to try.

“Actually,” the cashier stopped him, “Please disregard that, it’s on the house.”

The angel snapped from his thoughts and tilted his head, “Pardon? May I ask why?”

“Ah, it’s for our first-time customer promotional event.” Slender fingers went back to tapping the screen and Keiji watched as the fee was waived.

“But how can you be so sure that it is my first time here?” He had no idea why he was questioning this further, but he hadn’t charmed her into omitting the cost of the drink. Some humans truly were kind to the core of their soul.

Kiyoko chuckled warmly, her glasses glinting in the artificial light, “No returning customer would ever be _that_ enamoured with our choice of decor.”

Keiji fought to keep his face expressionless, but deep inside his blood was boiling in embarrassment. “I see… thank you.”

“Just take a seat anywhere you’d like. I’ll bring you your drink when it’s ready.”

With a nod, he turned to scan the café. The spot just by the window looked particularly inviting. The sunlight hit the table, almost like a calling sign. He walked toward it, hand brushing against the spot of light on the polished wood. A tingle shot up his fingertips and he hummed quietly; it seemed God’s magic was hard at work.

He had barely just settled into the seat, and Kiyoko was already making her way toward him. In her hands was a cute teacup and matching teapot; the crow chibi from their business logo printed on it. She set the drink down, and Keiji looked to find a caramel liquid swirling within.

“I hope you enjoy. There’s enough for a second refill.” she said, walking away before he could thank her once again.

Steam rose from the cup, drawing up the scent of the tea with it. He breathed it in, hooking his finger around the handle. Lifting the cup to his lips, he took a careful sip and relished the heat that swam over his taste buds.

The drink was delicious. A unique mix of spices and layered with a sweet and syrupy finish. It was something he would definitely be going back for in the future. Perhaps he could find a way to take some back to Heaven with him too.

He took another sip, tasting just as good as the first. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Kiyoko watching curiously. He lifted the drink a little higher to show his appreciation, and the woman simply nodded back and headed into the kitchen through the staff doors.

He was definitely going to put in a good word for her in Heaven.

Keiji sat there for nearly an hour, slowly enjoying the tea. It was amazing how it managed to stay warm for that long, but a quick inspection had him realize there was a small candle lit under the teapot; hot enough to maintain the tea’s warmth, but not enough to make the beverage boil and spoil the taste. He kept his eyes trained to the world outside, ignoring the customers that flowed in and out of the café.

Window watching was surprisingly fascinating. Especially when he could hear the thoughts of some of the people who walked by. Most of what he could hear were just frivolous hopes.

_[Damn, I want a coffee._

_I wish I could quit my job._

_Ugh, I really want that new purse._

_I want to get smashed tonight._

_I wish…_

_I wish..._

_I want to be able to hold his hand.]_

Keiji blinked, gaze quickly snapping from face to face, trying to find the owner of that wish. Then he caught sight of them. The pair walked side-by-side - close enough to touch shoulders. The shorter of the two was laughing, with the other smiling widely. But there was a tightness behind the brunet’s smile.

_[I want to hold his hand. I want to take him on dinner dates. I wish… we could be together.]_

The Wish Angel tilted his head with a calculative gaze. Well, he wasn’t about to just say no to love.

*******

After following the pair for a while, he hadn’t managed to catch much of their conversation. He had caught the names ‘Iwa-chan’ and ‘Shittykawa’ thrown around a few times as they spoke, but there was nothing else important that he had overheard.

They’d entered a small establishment a few blocks away from where he’d first caught them and had resolved that it was enough stalking for the day. Hopefully they hadn’t noticed him following.

While it was only the middle of the day, his mild frustration at having helped no one thus far had him retreating back up the stairs to Heaven. Making sure he was hidden from sight, he let his wings spread wide; tumbling out from their hidden folds. They unfurled, and he gave them a few experimental flaps to make sure they still had the strength to carry him.

Taking off, he let the magic envelop and hide him from any wandering eyes. The wind brushed through his feathers, and swept his hair into his eyes, but he paid it no mind, too busy focusing on breaking through the clouds and passing through the dimension gateway between the human world and Heaven.

As he passed through the gateway, he was hit with a long, winding length of stairs. Souls were lined up the spiraling platforms, moving slowly as each soul was assessed by the gatekeepers before being let in. Keiji flew past them all, shooting right up the centre of the winding staircase.

The air grew warmer, and the light even brighter than before. It was only when the brass gates, large and looming, came into view that he slowed; landing at the entrance with a smooth glide and a few, quick beats of his wings.

“Wish Angel Akaashi,” One gatekeeper greeted as he and the other bent into a bow. Their wings - a deep chocolate hue - were pressed flush against their backs. “Welcome, and we’re glad that you’ve safely returned!”

Keiji bowed in return, “Gatekeeper Koganegawa, Gatekeeper Aone. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I hope you’ve both been well.”

Koganegawa brightened, seemingly ready to launch into a monologue. He was interrupted when the spirit waiting first in line coughed lightly, reminding the gatekeeper that he had a job to do.

“Perhaps another time when you aren’t so busy.” Keiji amended. Who knew how long the other would stand there and talk his ear off after all. He wasn’t quite in the mood after having had voices be a constant presence in his mind whilst down on Earth.

With a nod, Aone stepped to the side, letting him through the brass gates. Keiji lifted his hand to wave as he passed through, and was immediately hit with the sight of angels flying everywhere. Hurrying from place to place, carrying packages and baskets filled to the brim. Some had a more leisurely pace in their flight, chatting with whoever their companion was. There was even an angel flitting around, catching the stray feathers that would fall from a pair of wings every so often.

It was the run-of-the-mill, typical busy scene that was the entrance field in Heaven. All the angels in Heaven had a job to do. It was simply the routine of the place. He sighed softly, turning and making his way to his private quarters.

Heaven was permanently bathed in sunlight, and didn’t offer the darkness and silence of the night that Earth had. It was interesting, knowing what a stark difference the two planes of existence were.

Much like his initial welcome in the human world, as he flew across the fields and marble structures of the neutral area of Heaven, most angels ignored him. Only this time, he made the conscious effort to keep to himself.

His personal quarters was simply a small room with a desk and chair, along with a hammock by the window. The most prominent piece of furniture in the room was a large mahogany bookshelf in the corner, overflowing with books, scrolls and loose parchment.

He thought of Bokuto’s room, recalling the mismatched bed sheets and the overall mess that was laid out across the carpeted floor. It was a lot more personalised, and full of life. Keiji’s room was simply proof of his existence and dedication to his studies and worship to the Archangel Barachiel.

A large part of him wanted to return. Return to where it felt welcoming and warm.

His eyes were drawn to the window where he had heard a soft tapping sound. An angel hovered there, waving at him timidly through the window.

“Keiji, you’ve returned.” He said, his free arm wrapped around a bunch of scrolls.

The Wish Angel moved closer to the window, “Kenma-kun, it’s nice to see you.”

“Since you’re back, can you help me sort things at the library?” Kenma gestured to his armful.

“Of course.” Keiji agreed. Despite how much he already wanted to return, he was an angel; and angels would always put work before their own needs.

*******

He finally convinced himself to return back to Bokuto’s apartment the next evening, feeling a little bad at the fact he’d left without a word in the first place. It had been unfair of him to do so, especially when Bokuto had been so generous. Tentatively, he knocked on the wooden door, fidgeting as he waited for it to open. What if Bokuto was angry?

The owl-like man welcomed him by suddenly flinging open the door, barely giving Keiji the time to react as his eyes started tearing up. Bokuto then wrapped him in a suffocating yet endearing bear hug, muffling some sort of greeting. It was hard to tell what exactly he’d said when the man’s mouth was full of rice, curry sauce and meat.

“It’s nice to see you too,” Keiji greeted back dryly, taking a stab in the dark at what Bokuto must have said. He pushed at the other’s shoulders, the hug slowly beginning to crush his wings and rib cage. When he finally let go, Keiji could only breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

Bokuto gulped down the rest of his half-chewed mouthful, “I thought you weren’t coming back!” he exclaimed.

“I _did_ say I would only stay for one night,” The angel replied, watching as Bokuto’s expression fell. He bit his lip at his next words, “But… I was hoping that you would let me stay? At night time, that is.”

The man stood taller as he pointed toward himself, “You want to stay? With _me?_ ” he asked, dumbfounded, “I thought… I thought that you didn’t like me because I was annoying!”

“Annoying?” Keiji questioned, “You can be very excited at times, but you are not irritating at all, Bokuto-san.”

“Really? No one has ever said that about me before!” Something that Akaashi had picked up, was that Bokuto was always quick to rebound with compliments.

He nodded in assurance, “If you were annoying I would have said so.” He took a moment to give Bokuto a once over, noting that the man was wearing the same sort of outfit he’d last seen him in when he was rushing off somewhere, “Did you have your training again? I remember you were running late for it last time. What sport is it for?”

Bokuto’s stature perked up at his words, “Volleyball!” he said.

“Volleyball…?” The angel repeated.

An enthusiastic nod followed, “Yeah! It’s a _super_ fun sport, and I’m on the pro-team! Volleyball is my _life_. Like, just the feeling I get from slamming the ball down onto the court with my hand, and watching the other team dive for my spike. And the crowd! Oh boy, when they cheer you on it's like the best thing in the world!” He raised his fists in the air, pumping them wildly like he was celebrating a victory.

“That sounds wonderful, Bokuto-san.” Keiji praised, despite barely understanding anything that had just been said.

“It _is!_ ” the other agreed. He stopped for a second, the gears in his head turning slowly before he suddenly pivoted to face the angel head-on, a eager look on his face, “AKAASHI! You should come join me and play!”

The ethereal man faltered, “Me? But… I would never be good enough to play at your level of competition.”  

Bokuto was jumping around the lounge at this point. “I mean, with the neighbourhood association! It’s really chill, everyone’s just playing for fun! All the people there are really nice, too - we all used to play against each other in high school and some of us in university!”

“I don’t know how to play, though.” He feebly attempted another excuse.

“Well, we can teach you!” Bokuto pressed his palms together and begged, “Just one time?”

 _[Please, please,_ please _say yes!]_

It wasn’t quite the wish of desperation that he was searching for, but Keiji barely hesitated a second longer, “Alright, I’ll go.”

“Great!” Bokuto hooted, “We’re meeting again on Saturday!”

*******

The gym had a certain air of intensity to it. It smelled heavily of faux leather and salonpas; not particularly pleasant, but it had Keiji feeling excited for some reason. There was already a group of people waiting by the net that had been set up, sitting around and chatting whilsts doing warm up stretches.

“Hey, hey, hey!! The ace is here!” Bokuto called, jogging over and setting down his gym bag. Everyone looked up at the pair that had entered. He immediately ran off somewhere, leaving Keiji standing alone awkwardly.

Luckily, one of the members of the group approached, silvery hair glinting in the bright lights of the gymnasium. He shouted off at the other man who’d disappeared somewhere, “Bokuto, it’s not like you to be late!” he called, before turning to Keiji, “You must be the person that Bokuto mentioned would be joining us. I’m Sugawara - but just call me Suga.”

Keiji nodded, “Suga-san, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Akaashi Keiji.”

Suga grinned widely in return, his smile far too refreshing for the early hour in the morning. “Great! I’m glad you could join us! Let me introduce you to everyone else.” He turned away, allowing Keiji a good view of everyone else in the room. He immediately recognised the two boys sitting with two others - the brunet and raven called ‘Shittykawa’ and ‘Iwa-chan’. Suga gestured around, “Not everyone can make it every time we meet, but we have enough for five on five today! Over there is Iwaizumi, Oikawa, Hanamaki and Matsukawa.”

At the sound of their names being called, the quartet glanced up and waved. Suga smiled back, eyes closing from the strength of his smile. “Watch out for them, they all used to attend high school together, so they’re very good.” he said to Keiji.

So they had known each other for quite some time, he mused. He could tell that the other man liked him back. And it did make things a little easier for him. Iwaizumi’s wish, however, was to be by Oikawa’s side forever. It was something that he was not capable of granting. Sometimes fate just had to take its path. Forever was a possibility, but not a guarantee - especially when it came to humans.

He turned back to Suga, realising he had yet to reply. “I’m afraid that won’t quite matter anyway, since I’ve never played before. This will be my first time.” Keiji scuffed the toe of his sneakers. He felt a little bad since everyone else clearly knew what they were doing. Although there was one bed haired man who seemed to be annoying the man he was talking to - a man with short, cropped dark hair.

“Oh, well then you’re in for a treat!” Suga exclaimed before pointing over at Kuroo and the other man, “That’s Kuroo and Daichi over there. Daichi and I were on the same high school team too, along with-” he was cut off as Bokuo pushed in front of him, dragging someone along. Bright, fiery locks sat atop a shorter boy, who was grinning wide enough to rival Bokuto’s smile.

“And this is Hinata, I trained him myself!” Bokuto introduced excitedly.

“Thanks for coming Akaashi-san!” Hinata added with a bow, before pouting with a sour expression, “Bakayama was supposed to come but he couldn’t make it, that stupid idiot.”

Keiji was barely paying attention though, surprised by the size of the boy. He scanned the boy’s figure once more, the other noticing with a determined glint in his eyes. “Hey, I may be small, but I can jump!” Hinata announced.

Unsure how to best respond, Keiji merely nodded.

“Okay, know that you know everyone here, let’s play!” Bokuto quickly said, wanting to get in as much play time as possible.

“Slow down a minute Bo,” Kuroo chuckled, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder, “Does Akaashi even know how to play?”

Keiji held up his hands when everyone simultaneously turned to face him incredulously. “It’s fine, I’m a fast learner. I can watch for a few rounds to pick it up?”

“No, that won’t do,” Oikawa spoke, stepping forward with a wave of his hand, “The teams won’t be equal then.”

“Then we can do four-on-four for now. I’m happy to sit out and teach Akaashi-kun a few things.” Suga piped up, an energising smile stretch across his face. He placed a hand on Keiji’s shoulder, leading him over to the sidelines. The others didn’t bother to argue as they quickly split their teams and unsurprisingly, the ex-Seijoh members had banded together, jeering at their opposition.

As they began to play, Keiji was enthralled by the way everyone moved fluidly on the court. Limbs lunging and stretching to reach the ball - legs pumping to jump and soar above the net that parted the two teams. It was like they were flying without wings. Suga was pointing out different plays and rules, explaining the different roles each member were playing.

Keiji took the information in greedily, watching as everyone’s faces lit up with joy. It had Keiji itching to join despite the fact he barely knew how to play himself. His fingers twitched, eyes locking onto the way Oikawa's handled the ball with such precision and ruled his side of the court. His gaze briefly flickered over to Bokuto’s team. They were doing well, but it was nothing in comparison to how Oikawa completed his team, directing the ball to his teammate’s hands as if he were the current that created the tide of the ocean.

It was exciting and new, and he immediately thought of being able to do the same thing with Bokuto. Direct and control the ball into Bokuto’s hands and let the other man be the wave that came crashing down upon the other side of the net.

He turned to Suga, “What position is Oikawa-san playing?”

“You want to play his role?” Was Suga’s immediate response. Keiji nodded, and Suga’s face lit up with a 100 watt smile. “Another setter! I can teach you the basics right now if you’d like.”

Another nod, and Keiji found himself being dragged off to the corner of the gym to be be taught how to set and make quick decisions on the court. Although it was exciting to learn, Keiji was becoming a little impatient. Bokuto had been excited to play with him but he’d yet to step foot on the court.

Not only that, but it seemed that Bokuto was getting agitated, as Daichi moved to set him another ball, only for Matsukawa to screen him out completely.

Keiji wasn’t blind to the way the owlish man’s shoulders drooped even further. He turned to Suga, “Do you think I can play now?”

The silver-haired man didn’t miss a beat as he laughed, “I can see that Bokuto has made you just as eager to play as him,” he gestured over, “Go on, I think you should give it a go.”

The pair began to walk over at the court just as Bokuto was blocked once more by Matsukawa, in a similar fashion to before. There was a pause as the ball hit the ground and Bokuto landed, fists clenched. He struck out his hand dramatically. “DON'T TOSS TO ME ANYMORE!” he yelled, clearly sulking.

There was a collective sigh from Bokuto’s side of the team, but they simply nodded and went back to their positions. Suga ushered him closer to the court, announcing that Keiji was ready to join, and pushed him over to Bokuto’s side of the court.

Bokuto didn’t even react to Keiji stepping on to the court, and Kuroo leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Don’t mind him, Bo sometimes had these moods when he gets too fixated on something. He’ll cheer up soon.”

Keiji looked over at his friend, a little worried. But at the reassuring gaze everyone sent him, he bit his lip and got into position. Bokuto drifted around the court as the next play started, looking around aimlessly as Kuroo, Hinata and Daichi did the best they could without him. Keiji was nervous to step in to touch the ball, but when Daichi smoothly sent the ball over to him, he steeled himself as lifted his hands.

Hinata was waving over at him, calling out his name. Determined, he eyed the way Hinata jumped, hand pulled back to spike. The ball was hovering above him, beginning to make it’s descent, and Keiji jumped, trying to aim the ball at Hinata’s open palm.

As the ball left his hands, he could only hold is breath and watch. The ball of sunshine was still in flight, soaring way over where Keiji aimed the ball.

It landed outside of the court and Keiji pursed his lips. “Sorry, I’ll try better next time.”

Hinata grinned, “I like my tosses higher up and a bit closer to the net, if that helps.”

Feeling a little more confident at the encouragement, he nodded, shook out his hands, and got into position once more. This time, he was prepared as Iwaizumi served the ball over the next, letting Kuroo dive to receive it.

Adrenaline sparked through his whole body as he forced his feet to move and prepare to toss the ball once more. Both Hinata and Daichi were approaching the net, and his gaze flickered between the two. On the other side of the court, Hanamaki and Matsukawa had split off to go after both of them.

Bokuto, however, was unguarded. The man’s gaze was still unfocused, but oddly, his head was turned to face him. Keiji let a small smile settle on his lips. Bokuto had wanted to play with him, so what was he to do other than let the man play?

“Bokuto-san,” he called as the ball closed in and was cradled in his hands, “I trust you.” The volleyball flicked smoothly from his fingertips, and travelled through the air, Bokuto’s eyes trailing after it.

Keiji watched as a grin spread across Bokuto’s lips, arms spreading out like the owl he was as he ran up and leapt into the air. The muscles in his arm tensed as his palm connected with the ball. The ball landed, the sound ringing out like a shotgun; too fast for anyone to react. Keiji could almost see the way Matsukawa’s hair blew from the force of Bokuto’s arm whipping through the air.

His heart thundered in his ears. They’d scored a point… with his help. He almost couldn’t believe it. Silence echoed throughout the gym as everyone took a moment to register the ferocity of the spike.

“AKAASHI!” Bokuto yelled, breaking the silence. He came running over and scooped him up into a bone-crushing hug, “That was amazing! It was like, bam, whoosh! And you made it seem so easy! You’re, like, the best thing since barbequed beef!”

A few of the others snapped out of their surprise and rolled their eyes, “That’s the worst compliment we’ve-” they cut themselves off suddenly, adopting shocked expressions. Keiji was slowly turning red, the blush creeping up his neck and staining his cheeks. The raven hid his face in his hands, embarrassed by the sudden attention and compliments.

He never been… _praised_ for his efforts before.

Bokuto took the opportunity to take Keiji’’s hands off his face and hold them in his. His eyes were shining, full to the brim with life that seemed to have been missing just moments before. He was practically vibrating in excitement as he leaned closer, “One more, Akaashi! Toss to me again!”

It was only obvious that Keiji went and did exactly that. Everytime he watched Bokuto spike his toss, a sense of thrill would tingle up his spine. And each time the spike hit the other side of the court, earning them a point, Bokuto would turn and face him, a bright smile lighting up the gym as he would say, “Akaashi! Did you see that? It was super cool right?!”

Keiji would nod, barely keeping a smile of his own from his face. “Yes Bokuto-san. I saw it and it was very cool.”

They played, rallying for almost another hour when Iwaizumi finally called it quits. Most of them agreed, and headed to the sidelines, taking greedy gulps from their drink bottles. Keiji himself left the court, despite Bokuto’s pleas for him to continue tossing to him. He had been mollified with the assurance that Keiji only needed a five minute break.

It was then that he noticed Oikawa and Iwaizumi pressed awfully close together. Focusing, he could _just_ make out their conversation.

“You need to be careful.” Iwaizumi was fussing over something.

“Iwa-chan, you’re not my mum,” the brunet huffed in response, “And I am being careful.”

There was a moment where Iwaizumi pressed at his friend's knee and the man hissed. “Ass-kawa I'm _not_ carrying you on my back if you're hurt. I've told you to limit yourself and tell me when you start to feel pain.”

“I'm fine Iwa-chan,” Oikawa's voice held a slight edge to it, “You shouldn't have to protect me. I can do that by myself.”

“You don't understand, do you? If you keep going like this, you might not be able to walk again.”

“Then I'll just pray to God and hope he fixes it.” He retorted petulantly.

Iwaizumi rubbed at his temples. “I can't deal with you sometimes.”

Keiji shifted his feet slightly, allowing him to see the way Oikawa's expression turned into something guarded. His bottom lip wobbled slightly when he spoke, “Well no one is asking you to _stay_ , so if you don't want to be around me, then just go.”

“Shittykawa, this isn't the best time for your pettiness,” Iwaizumi sighed, “Let’s not argue here.” He picked up a bottle of spray and directed it at the man’s knee.

Oikawa’s body hunched over, almost as if defeated by something. “Whatever.”

Then, Bokuto was calling him over, asking for another toss. Keiji took one glance at Bokuto’s puppy-dog expression and nodded, “Coming, Bokuto-san.”

*******

A week later, Keiji was startled from the book he had found lying around the living room by a shriek coming from the direction of Bokuto’s room. Before he could set the novel down and rush over, the door slammed open and a disheveled Bokuto appeared, a frantic look in his eyes.

He looked around, calming immediately when he found Keiji standing in the living room, “You weren’t sitting in the bedroom so I thought you’d left again!” he complained, making his way over. His eyes seemed to catch something along the way and he stumbled, landing unceremoniously on the floor, “Oh my God.” he gaped.

“Pardon?” the angel faltered, gaze dropping to meet Bokuto’s in equal amount of shock. For differing reasons, of course.

“Oh my _God!_ ” the salt-and-pepper haired man repeated.

Keiji exhaled slowly at the volume of his voice, having adjusted to the resounding quiet in the apartment. “Bokuto-san, there is really no need for you to pray. I have already been sent here to grant your prayers and wishes, so I can help. If you’re desperate for something, then just ask.” The male tilted his head with a pause, steel blue eyes void of emotion. “Or am I not enough for you?”

“No,” he shook his head wildly, ungelled locks fluffing up at the sudden action, “You’re definitely enough! It's just, your wings!”

The angel craned his neck to see the familiar ruffle of feathers that folded neatly against his shoulders. Right, he had freed them from their hidden folds to stretch out for a while. He gave them an experimental flap. Nothing was out of place or seemed to hurt. “Is something wrong with them?”

Another shake of his head. “I just hadn’t expected to ever see them.”

Keiji found himself fighting down a flush as he began to tuck them back into the folds of his back. Bokuto probably thought they looked odd, and for some reason, he felt a little ashamed because of it. They weren’t a single, pure colour like white or gold, and nor were they as pretty as most lore lead others to believe. Keiji grimaced, “I apologise. I usually stretch them out at night when everyone is asleep. I didn’t mean to… make you feel uncomfortable.”

“Wait, I didn’t mean it like that! You don’t have to hide them.” he finally scrambled up and made it to the living room, “I didn’t realise they were so small.”

“Oh. Well, they’ll be fully grown in another four centuries. Large enough to drag on the ground.” he trailed off quietly, biting his lip as self-consciously. So he was right; Bokuto did think his wings were strange. “Well, I’m only 24.”

“Wow! You’re really young then, for an angel, right?” Bokuto’s hands were clasped tightly behind his back, as if physically holding him back from something.

“Father and the higher-ranked angels believe that I am ready to do the job. Holding it off for any longer would be a waste of time.” Keiji murmured.

“Can I,” he paused with a gulp, “Can I touch them?”

It was clear that the man was fighting back the urge to touch him without permission. The raven had to hold back a grin at the way Bokuto was staring at him hopefully, eyes shining and metaphorical tail wagging. Although he wasn’t completely comfortable with the other invading his personal space like this, he just couldn’t refuse. He spread his wings a little wider and beckoned the man forward.

“Well, if you insist…” Keiji sat down tentatively on the couch, wearily watching as Bokuto approached, hands already reaching out to make contact with his wings. Unconsciously, his feathers quivered from the warm hand. “Forgive me,” he mumbled, blushing from the intimacy of Bokuto’s tender touch, “I’ve not had the time to tend to my feathers for a while now.”

His feathers were slightly ruffled, mostly due to the fact he’d had them hidden for so long. But Bokuto stroked them anyway, careful and considerate, fingers trailing over the array of feathers in absolute wonder. His attentiveness had Keiji relaxing a little; letting go of the self-conscious feeling he’d once had. He felt really… special. He wasn’t sure he wanted it to ever end.

“They’re really soft.” Bokuto cooed, breaking the silence, “Like, super silky.” The raven couldn’t quite find the words to respond, and settled on a low hum. “Although, I kind of expected them to be completely white, like in the books.”

“Ah, that depends on the type of angel you are,” he explained quietly, wondering if it was obvious that he was beginning to melt into a pile of mush. Preening had always been just another thing on his to-do list - but it almost felt like… self-care, the way Bokuto was doing it. Aside from the fact that he wasn’t doing it himself.

“The type of angel?” The other prompted.

Right, he was in the middle of something else. “Seraphim are the ones with pure white wings. Most low-tier angels will have darker wings. Like the Reaper Angels - theirs are completely black. It’s… supposed to signify how much closer to Hell we are, which means we have higher chances of becoming a Fallen Angel.”

“Oh.”

Keiji nodded, completely serious, “The day that a Seraph even touches the atmosphere of Earth will be the day that pigs fly.” Bokuto’s hands paused their ministrations as the man faced him, golden orbs glowing. The angel met his gaze with confusion, “Was that the incorrect idiom? I was certain that it was right.”

He suddenly laughed, deep-chested and filling the room. “‘Kaashi, that was a good one!” he huffed out in between his cackling. His hands instinctively pulled away from Keiji’s wings, wrapping around his stomach as he tried to regain his breath. He was laughing so hard that tears began to spring from the corners of his eyes.

Despite the angel’s confusion at the sudden bout of laughter, Keiji could only sit there, and smile softly at the view. He was glad that Bokuto was happy.

*******

Keiji had agreed to help Bokuto go shopping for some food, and made plans to meet at the shops after Bokuto got out of training with the national team. He had just exited the train station when he saw Iwaizumi and Oikawa again, the gap between them more painfully obvious than ever. It seemed the argument he had witnessed during volleyball had caused more tension between them.

His eyes snapped to their chests, where their souls seemed to be dimmer than he remembered. A grey aura surrounding the two had his heart feeling heavy. Their connection was fading; he was doing a horrible job at granting Oikawa’s wish. Maybe he should have left something like this to the cupids. He dismissed the thought as soon as it came.

No, this was his job - he had to take responsibility for accepting the wish as his mission to complete in the first place.

“Oh, Akaashi-san… right?” Iwaizumi spoke when they caught each other’s gaze. He stopped and stepped to the side of the footpath, pulling Oikawa along with him. The brunet pouted and puffed out his cheeks at being dragged around. The shorter man sent the other a warning glare, “How have you and Bokuto been?”

“We’ve been well, I’m just about to meet him to go shopping for food,” he replied and hesitated to tack on, “And you?” He could tell that he’d make a mistake from the way the pair flinched, so he began to lift his hand to wave off the question, only to have Oikawa cut him off.

“We’re both fine. The same as usual.” The brunet drawled, a sickeningly faux smile playing on his lips.

Keiji took a deep breath, thinking to himself that ‘now was a good time to ask’. He had spent time thinking about it before, but maybe straightforward was a possibility. “You know,” he began tentatively, carefully watching the others’ expressions to see if they were uncomfortable, “I’ve been meaning to ask, are you two a couple?”

The two friends immediately shook their heads, vehemently denying the seemingly innocent query. But the consideration and the bashfulness of being seen as such was clear on their faces. Oikawa stood a little taller, his smile more genuine than before. Iwaizumi’s cheeks were tinted a light pink, and his eyes looked brighter, reflecting happiness. Keiji schooled his expression to hide his own smile at the way the pair acted.

“Besides,” Iwaizumi scratched his flushed cheek, lowering his voice, “We, uh… we’re just friends.” The lie was as clear as a summer’s day, and Keiji could see the way Oikawa’s expression faltered at his words.

“I see. Well, if you asked me, I would say you two would make a really nice couple.” Keiji said, letting the statement sink in. Hopefully it would get the two thinking. He nodded his head slightly, shoving his hands deeper into the pocket of Bokuto’s jacket, “If you’ll excuse me, I’m about to be late.”

He walked away, not daring to spare a glance back in case he made eye contact once more. He didn’t want them second-guessing his words.

At the very least, it hadn’t been a failure, but wasn’t a complete success either.

When he rounded the corner, he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. Earlier that morning, Bokuto had given him directions to meet up. It didn’t quite make sense to Keiji, so he’d asked for written instructions in case he forgot what they were. For the most part, he did remember the way there, and for that, he was grateful.

He glared at the scrap of paper, trying to decipher the chicken scratch the Bokuto called his handwriting. He squinted his eyes as if it would help him understand the sloppy words, but to no avail.

With a light sigh, he began to look up at the street signs, following the directions he could recall and relying on his surroundings to get him to the meeting spot. Although, when Bokuto had said ‘the shops’, he hadn’t been thinking of an actual outdoor market. Masses of people were crowding and pushing through the laneway, making their way to the various stalls set up on either side of the road. He glanced about, trying to spot the owl-haired man.

“AKAASHI! You made it!” Bokuto’s voice called. It was easy to find him with the way he drew attention to himself. The man jogged up to him, “I thought you got lost or something! Did the directions I write for you help?”

Keiji wasn’t about to lie to such an honest face, so he pursed his lips and said, “No, not really.”

Bokuto’s face fell as he deflated with a pout, “Oh.”

“Because,” cerulean orbs softened as Keiji faced his friend, “I remembered the directions you gave me verbally anyway. You were a big help. I definitely would have become lost without them.”

The expression that lit up on Bokuto’s face was almost blinding. Keiji did his best not to look away or close his eyes. The other man stared back at him just as intently - but with far more joy.

Someone bumped into them, and Keiji was finally given reprieve. He blinked the blurriness away.

“So, why are we at a market?” he asked, eying the crowd warily, “We could have just gotten everything from the store.”

“Why?” the other man tilted his head owlishly, “Well, why not? There’s fresh fruit, fresh eggs, and even better, fresh _meat!_ ”

“So… fresh food?” Keiji summed up.

“Yeah! Now, come with me!” Bokuto slipped his hand into his as if it were a completely natural thing for him to do. Keiji’s gaze immediately snapped to their intertwined fingers, but Bokuto didn’t seem to realise how brazen his actions were, “Don’t let go of my hand, okay? I don’t want you getting lost.”

“R-Right,” he nodded hastily. Of course Bokuto was innocent in his actions. Keiji didn’t mind it, he’d just been surprised. Bokuto’s hand fit snugly in his, comfort washing over him as he hurried to catch up with Bokuto’s eager pace. He squeezed the hand a little tighter, acknowledging the numerous pairs of eyes that turned to look at them. He turned his sharp cobalt glare against them, taking confident strides with as much grace as he could muster.

Over the next few hours, the man showed him around the whole market, excitedly letting him try as many foods as he possibly could. The strawberries had burst a sweet acidity throughout his mouth, and the neatly rolled tamagoyaki had him almost salivating for more. He hadn’t realised what a memorable experience going to a crowded marketplace could even be.

Along the way, the pair had picked up the food they’d needed, holding multiple bags in their arms whilst happily swinging their interconnected hands. It wasn’t until they stopped at the end of the lane, signalling the end of their adventure that Bokuto had let him go.

Keiji wouldn’t deny that he was a little disappointed, but brushed it off quickly. He shouldn’t be disappointed over something as silly as hand-holding. “Well, we have everything. What now?”

The other man turned to face him. “We go home! Since we have meats and stuff we don’t want to stay out for too long,” he replied, “But first! I have something for you!”

“Another thing?” Keiji asked, a tiny bit worried. Bokuto was spending far too much on him. He wasn’t sure how he could ever repay him. The other man was busy fishing around in one of the bags to pull out the ‘something’ he’d managed to get a hold of when Keiji had not been paying attention.

“Akaashi, close your eyes,” the man said, tone verging on serious. The angel compiled without argument, knowing that if he did, he would probably lose. He slid his eyes closed, and a few seconds later, an object was delicately place into his hair, resting over the shell of his ear. Bokuto’s voice was all too close when he whispered, “Okay, you can open now.”

They fluttered open, hand shooting up to touch whatever had been placed in his hair. “What is it?” he questioned, fingers brushing over the texture of the object. It was soft and layered, the feeling familiar. “A flower?”

Bokuto nodded vigorously, pulling out his phone for Keiji to see he own reflection. “It looked so pretty, and so, you know… I wanted to get it ’cause you’re pretty too!”

A sincere smile bloomed on his face, the apples of his cheeks flushing to match the pink cosmos tucked behind his ear, “Thank you, Bokuto-san. You’re really too kind.”

“And Akaashi’s the _kindest_!” came Bokuto’s immediate reply.

Unable to take anymore of Bokuto’s selfless compliments, he bumped the other man’s shoulder playfully. “Let’s go before the meat and the milk goes off. I really enjoyed today. I would like to come back one day.”

If he really had the option to, however, he would make that day last forever.

*******

Keiji decided that to have a better chance at finally being able to grant Oikawa’s wish, he might benefit from scoping out the two individually. Now that he had actually met them a few times, it wouldn’t be too hard for him to find them. So, he’d waited patiently until it was far past midnight, when Bokuto had fallen sound asleep.

Keiji was donned in his pristine white outfit again, wings unfurled and ready to go. He had to work quickly, as there were limited hours until the humans were to wake up again. Cupping his hands together, he focused deeply channelling the divinity he was highly affiliated with. He then started to fill his thoughts with what Oikawa looked like, digging deep into the intricate traits that made the man who he was. The closer he was to the kind of person he was looking for, the more likely he would be able to find them.

A light weight settled into his palms, and his opened them to find a single white rose petal, the green undertones telling him that the magic had worked. The wind picked it up immediately, and he took off after it. His own emerald glow surrounded him as he took flight, the magic taking over as he turned invisible to any wandering eyes, both supernatural and human alike.

Flying was definitely faster and more direct than any standard metro train could be, and he revelled in the fact that he had finally had the chance to spread his wings again. Keeping his eye trained on the petal, he followed it over the city skyline and into the inner suburbs. The petal quivered in the wind, but slowed down as it approached a small townhouse. It hovered for a moment before landing on one of the window sills. A soft light was emanating from within the room where the petal had landed and Keiji couldn’t help but frown.

Closing in, he peeked into the window and looked around. The room his looked into was messier than he’d expected it to be. With the way the brunet usually dressed, he had seemed quite put-together and organised. Although, the human world had yet to fail in surprising him.     

The room was filled with loose papers and books lying around, and a few scattered discs spilling from their cases. There were posters on every wall, and a few photos here and there. Clothes were strewn around, and a whole mound of them were spilling out of a basket by the door. In the corner of the room, however, was the man himself, staring at a screen full of people running around in matching outfits - most likely a volleyball match.

So, Oikawa was still awake. It was unfortunate, as it would be impossible to look around. His invisibility was only limited to his flying, as he’d yet to receive his Halo. If he were to enter the room and set foot on the carpet, the brunet would be able to see him immediately. It didn’t seem like the man was going to move from the screen anytime soon, and Keiji didn’t have the time to wait until he went to sleep.

With a sigh, he pulled away from the window and took his time to summon another petal; he’d just have to hope that the shorter man was asleep.

To his surprise, the petal lead him around the corner of the brick building and landed within seconds. So, Oikawa and Iwaizumi shared an apartment together, Keiji noted.

A quick peek into the man’s room told him that he was definitely asleep - if the drool and the steady rise and fall of the man’s was anything to go by. Perhaps it was a normal thing for humans to drool in their sleep, considering Bokuto seemed prone to doing it too.

Keiji soon dismissed the thought as he did a quick fly around the apartment block, satisfied that everyone - besides Oikawa - seemed to be asleep. He would be okay if he didn’t make too much noise. Taking a deep breath, he pushed against the wall beside the window, channeling his energy into the brick. He felt a falling sensation as he phased into the room through the wall and shivered - he had never liked passing through solid objects.

He looked back at the sleeping figure, just in case he’d made too much noise. Relief washed over him when he noted that Iwaizumi remained fast asleep.

Keiji began to take slow steps forward, eying the man’s desk that was located on the opposite side of the room. His breath hitched as a paper that he’d failed to see crinkled beneath his foot. Hurrying to step off the paper, he lost balance, hand whipping out and knocking a book off the bedside table with a thud.

His head snapped to Iwaizumi once more as the man huffed and flipped his position in his bed. Distantly, he heard the click of a door opening and quiet footsteps approaching. Not wanting to risk getting caught, he rushed back over to the window and quickly mustered up the energy to phase out of the house, barely catching the whisper of “ _Tooru,_ ” fall from Iwaizumi’s lips and a soft knock on the door.

A sigh escaped his lips as he paused for breath outside Iwaizumi’s window. That had been far too close of a call. As he went to leave however, the blood in his veins turned to cold ice as a hand stretched out before him, blocking his path.

Caramel orbs blazed with fury at him, coffee-coloured wings spread wide in an aggressive manner and golden halo lighting with small sparks to display his anger. Keiji’s throat felt like sandpaper at the imposing figure, and he pressed himself as close to the wall behind him as possible. “O-Oikawa-san?” he gasped, “You… You’re a Guardian Angel?” The gears in his mind turned like a well-oiled machine. How had he not noticed?

The man merely closed in, ignoring his question as his lips curled into a snarl. “What were you doing in Iwa-chan’s room?” he growled.

“Nothing harmful, Oikawa-san,” he replied calmly, “I’m only trying to grant a wish, that’s all.”

The brunet blinked, his clouded gaze becoming focused once more. His wings reigned in and he slowly sank to the ground, Keiji trailing after him. “A… wish?” he muttered softly, “Does Iwa-chan have a wish?”

“Actually, it’s your wish, Oikawa-san.” The halo that crowned his soft brunet curls flickered, turning dull and lifeless for a single second at his words. But it was enough for Keiji to catch on and place all the pieces of the puzzle together.

Oikawa had broken the golden rule of the Guardians, and had fallen in love with his charge. The further he fell, the more muted his powers became. It was no wonder that Oikawa was holding himself back from approaching Iwaizumi, and it suddenly made sense why Keiji couldn’t tell that Oikawa was also an angel in the first place.

Keiji’s heart felt heavy with the newfound knowledge. He couldn’t imagine what Oikawa had been feeling this whole time - the conflict of choosing love, or remaining loyal to his job. However, it was clear that Oikawa had decided upon which was more important to him.

“I’ll can still grant your wish, if you want me to,” he blurted out, “I’ll still help to grant your wish, if you can accept the consequences.”

The Guardian Angel faced him incredulously, “What?”

“I know a way to make you human… I read it in an ancient scroll. However, you will forget everything about our existence. The supernatural world will have never existed in your mind,” Keji stated, remaining professional. Mentally, he was berating himself for offering to help, “You must also understand that Iwaizumi-san will no longer have a protector if you do so. I cannot guarantee his safety if you give up your Guardianship.”

He could see Oikawa considering his words, and Keiji only felt a heavier weight bear down on his shoulders like a thousand pounds. While he had just offered Oikawa a way out, he had also just offered to be responsible for the ‘death’ of an Angel. Out of his own volition, he persevered before he could back out of his own offer, “If you need some time, come out to dinner tomorrow, and bring Iwaizumi-san. I think it’s only fair of him to know how you feel before you make your decision, just in case he doesn’t return your feelings. Although, I’m certain that rejection is not on the cards, it won’t hurt to have some confirmation.”

Silence filled the air between them, creating a stifling pressure. Oikawa seemed to be too deep in thought to remember to respond. So, without waiting any longer for a reply, Keiji stepped forward to lay a comforting hand between the wings on the brunet’s back, letting it rest there for a brief moment before he spread his wings and took off.

*******

“Bokuto-san, I was wondering if you would be able to help me?” he questioned the next morning over breakfast. The man visibly perked up, a grin stretching across his face.

He nodded enthusiastically, “Of course! Just give me the word and I’ll always help!”

Keiji scratched his cheek, wondering if he should really be dragging a human into his duties. But he couldn’t exactly turn up to the restaurant alone, and Bokuto was the only person he could see himself comfortably enjoying dinner with. The thought of including another angel to the mess would only serve to create more problems than resolve them anyway. “It’s about Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san…” he waited for the other man to nod before continuing, “Well, I’m trying to grant Oikawa’s wish. He wants to pursue Iwaizumi romantically.”

“That’s so cool!” Bokuto hooted, “But… Oikawa’s an angel too, isn’t he?” Keiji blinked at him, taking a moment to remind himself that Bokuto was from a line of seers. He mentally berated himself at the fact he’d almost forgotten one of the first things Bokuto had ever told him about himself. Bokuto furrowed his brow, ignorant to Keiji’s thoughts, “How does that work?”

The angel sighed and nodded solemnly, “Well, their relationship is technically forbidden. I spoke with Oikawa about the two of them going out to dinner with me tonight before coming to a final decision regarding certain… things. But, I feel that it might be somewhat awkward if I went along by myself. So, I was wanting to know if you would like to come with me? If you’re available, that is.”

“Really?!” he said, “You want _me_ to go with you?”

“That is only if you want to,” Keiji fought the urge to chew at his lip, the nerves trying to make their appearance. “I promise that I will find a way to pay you back as soon as I am able to. I apologize that I don’t have anything to repay you with right now, and I’ve been using your money this whole time…”

“It’s no problem! I’m glad to have more time to spend with you,” Bokuto’s eyes scrunched closed from how hard his was smiling, “I like you, Akaashi!”

“O-Oh… well, I like you too, Bokuto-san.” Keiji replied, a rosy blush rising to his cheeks. In fact, he could feel his whole body heating up. “Are you sure it’s not too much? You’ve wasted a lot of your money on me as it already stands.”

The enthusiastic smile fell from Bokuto’s lips as the man faced him, more serious than Keiji had ever seen him before. “I really don’t mind, Akaashi,” he said, tone completely even, “Money isn’t a problem here, I just want to be able to help everyone I can.”

The angel felt his whole body tremor at those words; Bokuto was completely selfless - a kind soul that was rare to come by. It was this that made him feel so lucky to have met the man, let alone be cherished by his kindness. It was almost as if… Bokuto was _his_ Guardian Angel.

It was impossible thought, however, as the other man was very much human.

A hand reached up to touch his cheek, the pads of his fingers rough and calloused. “‘Kaashi?” Bokuto asked, “Are you okay?”

“Pardon me, I was just lost in thought for a little moment there.” he replied quickly, moving away from the hand.

Bokuto blinked owlishly a few times before shrugging it off with another grin. “So what time is this dinner thing?”

He shrugged, “I never made plans. Do you know what time people would usually go out for dinner?”

“Oh, uh… maybe around seven-thirty?” Bokuto suggested, “Should I pick the place too? Oh, and I should tell the others, shouldn’t I?”

Keiji looked at him, deadpan. He had not thought about _where_ they would be eating, either. In fact, he had never been one to make plans, considering he usually just did whatever he was told to do. He inclined his head. “That would be very much appreciated.”

*******

Even though Bokuto had booked a table somewhere for seven-thirty, he and Keiji wound up being late, due to Bokuto turning a block too early and leading them the wrong way. So, by the time they arrived, Oikawa and Iwaizumi were already there.

The pair sat next to each other, their mouths moving, but voices unheard over the din of the restaurant. Bokuto immediately went to gain their attention, and exclaimed, “Oikawa! Iwaizumi!” he lifted his hand to wave wildly at them. The two friends both snapped their gazes up, catching sight of them and returning the greeting in a much calmer manner.

Silently, Keiji intertwined his hand with Bokuto’s as they approached. He could feel Bokuto’s hand clutch tighter to his in surprise, but the angel merely glanced up at him cooly. “Iwaizumi-san thinks we are dating.”

“O-Oh.” Bokuto looked down at where their hand connected, “You know, you have really big hands.” He spoke contemplatively.

The angel wasn’t quite sure if that was intended to be a compliment or not and frowned slightly. “Is that a bad thing?”

He shook his head. “Nah, it just means you’re better at helping people.”

“How so?” Keiji tilted his head curiously. He looked down at their hands, finding that his indeed, were slightly larger than Bokuto’s. However, it was only due to the fact he had longer fingers. Bokuto’s were much sturdier and weathered; proof of his hard work and years of training.

“Kind of like, you can carry a lot more weight,” Bokuto replied, just as they reached the table the other two were at. Keiji could feel his brow quirk at the words, wondering if there was a deeper meaning to it, but quickly dismissed it for greeting the others.

“Apologies for being late,” Keiji said as he sat down, “We took a wrong turn and became lost.”

“It’s fine.” Iwaizumi stated, eyes trained upon where Keiji and Bokuto’s hands were still laced together. Oikawa seemed wholly worried about something else, their arrival causing him to fall silent as he fidgeted in his seat.

Under the table, Keiji kicked the other man in the leg, causing the brunet to jolt in his seat, eyes wide. He straightened in his seat and picked up the menu, making a big show of flipping through it, barely even looking the pages, “Let’s order something!”

Keiji picked up his own menu and opened it to the first page, deciding to humor Oikawa for the time-being. Glancing over the menu, he wasn’t sure what most of the flavours that were listed were, so he picked one at random. Bokuto urged him to order more, considering it was a yakiniku restaurant, but Keiji refused and made the others pick everything else.

Once the waiter had taken their order, Bokuto excused himself to the bathroom and the three of them faced each other awkwardly. Thankfully, Keiji had observed plenty of human conversations whilst on Earth, and used this as an opportunity to use this knowledge. “So, how have you been?” He addressed Iwaizumi.

The wing-spiker blinked, tension seeming to melt from his body at the question. A lopsided smile grew on his lips a he responded lightheartedly. “Normally I’d say good, but I almost got in an accident the other day if not for Trashykawa over here.”

Keiji’s eyes widened, looking over at the brunet, “Accident?” Oikawa flinched as he repeated Iwaizumi’s words.

“I was busy looking at a flyer and almost walked out onto the road when the crossing light was still red,” He spoke as if it were no big deal, but Keiji could clearly see the turmoil that Oikawa was facing in his eyes, “Next thing I know, I’m on the ground and he’s yelling at me.”

“Well, you could have died!” Oikawa’s exclaims immediately, fists clenching atop the table. Iwaizumi stopped short, looking at his friend. The brunet met his gaze, the pair seemingly engaging in silent conversation that was impossible to follow.

Keiji cleared his throat, “How long have you two known each other again?”

Iwaizumi jolted, head tilting in thought as his Guardian Angel turned silent once more, “I honestly can’t remember. It feels like forever, I guess.”

He response made sense, as Oikawa had likely been assigned to Iwaizumi the moment he was born. But for the sake of conversation, Keiji hummed with interest, “Is that so?” he said just as Bokuto joined them again, looking around the table to see what he’d missed.

“What about you guys? Bokuto didn’t mention you until recently, so I’m surprised to see that you’re dating.” Anxiety shot through his body at the question - they hadn’t really discussed that yet.

Bokuto tensed beside him, taking a few moments to think before fumbling over his words, “Ah well, you know… being pro and everything - even though it’s off-season. I mean, I don’t want to draw attention to Akaashi.”

Keiji nodded along with him. Agreeing to whatever was being said would hopefully lead to less questions.

Iwaizumi’s face scrunched in confusion, “If you’re dating, you’ve probably known each other for a while, right? Surely we would have at least heard of Akaashi, since you have the tendency to show off a little.” He scratched the back of his neck, as if suddenly conscious he might be pushing the boundaries somewhat.

The pair took an awkward glance at each other, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, the brunet seemed to notice their loss for words and quickly jumped in. “What do you mean, Iwa-chan? Bokuto’s mentioned Akaashi before! He’s just… never mentioned his name.”

“Oh, well I guess I don’t really remember.” He said, accepting Oikawa’s words.

Footsteps approached their table, and the group looked over to see two waiters approaching them, arms full of freshly sliced meat and pickled vegetables. They laid everything out on the table around the barbeque, barely able to fit it all on.

Bokuto brightened, immediately grabbing a pair of tongs and laying down juicy, marbled thinly-sliced beef onto their grill once the waiter left. The meat sizzled deliciously, the oils hitting the coal underneath and creating the most mouthwatering aroma of barbequed meat. The salt and pepper-haired man licked his lips in anticipation.

Keiji looked at the array of plates spread out across the table, the cuts varying in size and some of side dishes plated full of vegetables and pickled radishes. If anyone could eat the whole lot, it would definitely be Bokuto, he mused.

“Here!” a pair of chopsticks that held a tender slice of beef appeared before him, soy sauce dripping tantalizingly. Bokuto looked on eagerly, “Try it!”

Cautiously, he leaned forward and took the chopsticks in his mouth. The flavour was unexpected, but it was tasted amazing. He told Bokuto as such, and watched as the other man scooped some more, dragging it through the sauce dish and holding it out in front of Keiji to eat.

“Thank you,” he lifted up his bowl instead this time, aware of the others’ stares. Bokuto didn’t notice, but placed the meat into the dish and then took more for himself.

The meal went by quickly, light-hearted banter being exchanged and a few interesting stories that would have the whole table laughing. As they neared the end of the meal - the last bits of cooked meat becoming cold on the plate - Keiji decided it was time to put Oikawa out of his misery.

“Anyway, thank you for coming today,” Keiji said pleasantly, “Since I don’t really know any of Bokuto-san’s friends, it’s nice to meet some of you.” He stopped, looking intently at Oikawa as he picked his next words, “Especially another _couple_.”

Iwaizumi almost spat out his drink, whipping his head around to Keiji. “Wait, you’re mistaken. I told you last time we met that we weren’t a couple.”

“And I told you last time that  I think you make the perfect pair.” The angel replied innocently, taking a sip of his own drink whilst looking pointedly at Oikawa.

“Actually Iwa-chan, I have something really important to say.” Oikawa’s voice wavered, “About not being a couple… I wish that we actually were.”

“Huh?” The spiky-haired man looked dumbfounded.

“What I mean to say is,” The brunet took a deep breath, “I love you. Not just as a friend, or in a brotherly manner. I really, truly am in love with you.” His eyes were wide pools of chocolate, full of hope as he looked at his charge - the person he’d known since the man was born.

“Oikawa, I…” Iwaizumi stuttered, before a scowl appeared on his face and he pushed his best friend lightly on the shoulder, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?! We could have been dating by now you dumb idiot!”

“Iwa-chan?! Why are you hitting me?” Oikawa cried out, futilely batting the hand away. Suddenly he froze, “Wait, did you just say…?”

They were staring at each other again, communicating without words in that eerie way that only close friends and family could do. Keiji felt a little awkward sitting there.

“Congratulations!” Bokuto nearly yelled, seeming to be oblivious. He then grinned and added, “You should probably tell Mattsun and Makki now! I think they had a bet placed on you two of something… Kuroo was probably in on it too.”

Both of their expressions turned sour at the mention of their high-school friends placing bets upon them. They turned to each other, muttering plans of revenge beneath their breaths. Once again, Bokuto and Keiji were left on the sidelines.

Keiji found it amusing how in sync the two of them were, but he reigned in the urge to tease them even more and instead stood from his seat, “I’m just going out for fresh air.” He said, looking at Oikawa with a subtle nod. Business came first.

It was chilly outside, the light wind biting at his skin despite the warm sweater he had on. He shivered, not bothering to look up when the door to the restaurant opened again and the brunet stepped out. “Are you absolutely sure?” Was the first thing he asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

Oikawa let out a sigh, his breath turning into a fog, “Yeah.”

The answer was to be expected though. Oikawa’s powers were already fading from the amount of time he’d spent yearning over Iwaizumi’s heart. It would be pointless just to leave him be when Keiji could help speed up the process.

Keiji’s trained his eye on Oikawa, adopting a grave tone as he spoke, “You’re going to be giving up a lot, you know.”

“I know… but,” Oikawa’s voice was small. Vulnerable. “I don’t want to - I mean, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to leave Hajime’s side. Especially now that I know he loves me back.” The man seemed to be blinking back tears.

The Wish Angel merely exhaled. He already knew that the only way to grant Oikawa’s wish would be to go to the Isle of Blessings, and return with the potion that would strip Oikawa of his wings, making him mortal. But it meant that… that he would have to go. The he would have to leave Bokuto. The thought of doing so had his chest clench in pain. Keiji looked back up, a sad smile playing on his lips, “I think I understand a little; how you feel,” he said, quickly turning away, “Well, a promise is a promise. I’ll be back soon.”

*******

Heaven was his home, yet he returned to it with a heavy heart. He felt a deep sense of guilt with the way he and Bokuto had parted.

He’d waited until the dead of night to leave. He had realised that he couldn’t bear to see Bokuto’s expression if he had left while the man was still awake.

“I’m sorry, Bokuto-san.” he’d whispered. Bokuto merely exhaled heavily in response, a slight bit of drool coming out of his open mouth. Keiji huffed in endearment, reaching out to run his hands through the man’s hair slowly, “Sleep tight, Bokuto-san.”

The only thing he’d left was a note that promised the he would be back.

As he flew through Heaven’s gates, he barely spared a moment to greet the gatekeepers, wanting getting the job done as quickly as possible. He wondered if they could sense how he felt as he passed by, knowing that the gatekeepers were particularly trained in distinguishing souls and emotions. The reasons for his return were not particularly savoury, either.

Keiji passed over the many planes of the lower tiers of Heaven; a blur of resting souls living their best afterlife, and angels of all status working hard at their assigned tasks. He wasn’t too sure how long he had been travelling for, but it was at least a few hours before he’d finally arrived at Barachiel’s domain.

The Isle of Blessings was a small, but sparse expanse of land. A single waterfall thundered down the tall cliff and into the clouds, spreading a light mist in the area, but it was soundless in its motion. Surrounding the base of the cliff were small plants, various flora and sprigs of herbs that were magical in property. The cliff face itself had tiny landings jutted throughout the surface, each filled with little pools of Holy water. From what he observed, there were only a few other angels sat beside one of the pools, each absorbed in their own prayers.

He flew over to the base, surveying the array of greenery before moving to quickly collect small amounts of asphodel, mallow, rue and winterbloom. Holding them delicately in his arms, he then headed for one of the empty jagged landings, coming to a stop and kneeling down by the transparent liquid. He could feel the sharp edges of the rocks dig into his skin, but he maintained his position.

With steady hands, he dipped the flora into the clear water, cupping his hands as he slowly lifted them back out, letting the water be carried with it. The water congealed into a small orb, the leaves and petals trapped and swirling within the bubble. He held it up toward the sun, letting it casting a rainbow hue over the rocky terrain.

Closing his eyes, he bowed down and cleared his mind from all thoughts, focusing only on the ritual at hand. He didn’t know how long it would take for the ritual to complete. He was a young angel, with limited abilities in comparison to the Archangels, whom usually took charge concerning servant angel’s fates.

All that he knew was that, enough of his power pooled into the compact ball of purity would create a banishing potion. When he had first discovered the scroll, he had never intended to read and memorise it. Except, curiosity had gotten the better of him one day, when the Dominions had almost torn apart the planes of Heaven looking everywhere for the scroll. He supposed that he didn’t regret reading it now, considering it was helping him with Oikawa’s wish.

He took deep breaths as he began pouring his power into the Holy essence in his hands. Time became a distant thing, as he blocked out the presence of other angels, entering and leaving the island.

He kneeled for so long, that sweat beaded at his temples. He kneeled, focus never wavering despite the fact his knees had been rubbed raw. The sun beat down on his bare body, and the strong winds from his elevated height on the cliff threatened to topple him over.

His body ached, deep down to his bones, but he persevered. He had already come so far, it would pointless to turn his back on setting Oikawa free now.

Keiji’s eyes snapped open, heart thundering in his chest. Did he really consider turning Oikawa into a human as setting him free? It wasn’t like he was being caged. Oikawa had a duty to perform, and he failed to follow it through. Now Keiji was fulfilling a promise, and subsequently, Oikawa’s wish. It was as simple as that.

So, why did it feel like Oikawa was _lucky_? His breath quickened as dark clouds began to loom in his mind. His brain was a foggy mess of confusion and deep-set emotions - it was truly something he had never experienced before. Did he secretly long for what Oikawa had?

A heat spread over his palms and he glanced at the orb of water he had been painstakingly holding up for however long.

Gone was the transparent liquid. The flowers had dissolved into the water, turning it an awful grey-green mixture. He rose to his feet, burying his conflicting thoughts as he staggered for a moment from the numbness that shot up his calves. He summoned a small jar and placed the thickened liquid inside.

Now all that was left to do… was for Oikawa to actually drink it.

*******

It was heavily overcast when he landed back on Earth. He wasted no time getting to Oikawa’s apartment, not even bothering to look inside as he left the jar on the other angel’s windowsill, complete with a short note on the effects of the potion. Although he was sure he had used the same measurements as what had been written in the scroll, there was no guarantee that things would go the way they expected; they weren’t witches or wizards, after all.

He had decided that he wanted to avoid going back to Heaven, and without further thought, he turned and began heading back to Bokuto’s apartment. But in the middle of his flight there, a fat drop on water landed on his cheek. Then another, and another, until the rain was pouring down and seeping deeply into his skin.

The rest of his journey to the apartment was spent walking in the downpour, his wings hidden due to how heavy they would be if they were to become drenched. The water was like a cold awakening for him, and when the familiar building finally came into view, Keiji was immensely exhausted from the temperature drop and the long walk. Except, he couldn’t fight off the restlessness that thrummed in his body. When he slipped back into Bokuto’s apartment ment in the early hours of the morning, he’d bypassed going to Bokuto’s room and instead beelined for the kitchen.

Filling a kettle, he plugged it in and let it sit to boil, pulling out the box of bagged tea and selecting the chamomile from it. Hopefully it would relax him enough to get some proper rest for a few hours.

Now that he was back in the human world, he had to readjust himself once more after spending time in the placidity of Heaven. No longer alone with his own thoughts, the needs and wants of others’ filtered into his mind like a soft whisper. At least, at such a time of night, most of them were dreams that contained unrealistic wishes rather than things that he would usually consider sorting through in the daytime.

The light on the kettle flicked off, signifying that the water was hot, and Keiji filled his cup. He held the mug in both hands, letting the heat seep through the ceramic and spread onto his palms. He hadn’t realised how much he had missed about Earth. How much he’d missed this apartment, and the wild energy Bokuto encompassed.

“Akaashi?” a sleep laden voice cut through the darkness. Keiji’s head snapped up, gazing locking onto Bokuto’s wide gaze.

“Bokuto-san… you’re awake.” he whispered. The man looked tired himself, dark circles framing his usually bright eyes, and his posture was slumped over. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in days, and his complexion was completely ashen. “How have you been?”

“Akaashi…” Bokuto’s voice was filled with hurt, “You’ve been gone for _two weeks_.”

“Oh.” Keiji felt his stomach churn with something unpleasant. He placed his cup down on the counter and pushed it away. He didn’t feel like drinking it anymore.

“I thought you weren’t coming back,” he choked out.

Keiji didn’t - couldn’t - respond. Even though he’d promised he would return, Bokuto had still had his doubts. It was an ugly feeling. Not in the sense that Bokuto didn’t have faith in him, but in the sense that he was incapable of reassuring Bokuto. Everything in his mind just felt so heavy.

Bokuto was such a kind-hearted person who had done so much for him. And Keiji. He was less of an angel than Bokuto was. He looked down, full of remorse. He could feel himself shaking, unsure if it was in anger of sadness. He grit his teeth, facing away from the other man.

“Hey, hey… Akaashi?” Bokuto said after a moment, any sign of tiredness gone from his voice. He approached slowly, “Are you crying?” A reassuring hand wrapped around his shoulder.

“No its… I'm still wet from the rain.” he muttered feebly. The hand on his shoulder moved to wrap around his whole torso, holding him close and enveloping him a familiar warmth the had hadn’t received comfort from in what felt like far too long.

Keiji couldn’t find it in himself to pull away. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks silently, the tears and his wet clothes soaking through Bokuto’s shirt. He didn’t even have the words to explain how he was feeling. Everything was just… too much.

Granting one wish had already left him drained, and it had taken him so long to do. He felt as though the Dominion's faith had been severely misplaced.

“I killed him,” he whispered, “I’m responsible for Oikawa’s death as an angel.”

“Oikawa’s still alive though. If anything, he’s probably grateful for your help,” Bokuto spoke, tone surprisingly calm, “Maybe he wasn’t meant to be an angel. Maybe he was destined to be with Iwaizumi, but not in the protector way.”

They were the words he’d needed to hear, but the weight was still there. Perhaps he was letting his emotions take too much control over him. He needed to remain rational.

Keiji took a shuddering breath, “Bokuto-san… I apologise.” _For leaving you_ , was left unsaid, but implied.

“It’s okay, ‘kaashi,” he murmured back, pressing his face into Keiji’s hair, “I’m here.” His hand rubbed his back soothingly.

“...can I stay?”

“Always.”

His heart fluttered and, once more, Keiji could not get over how much kinder Bokuto was than any other angel he’d ever met. He wrapped his arms tighter around Bokuto’s waist, relishing in the comfort the man provided.

He didn’t want to let go.

*******

The next few days had Keiji following Bokuto nearly everywhere. It was uncharacteristic of him - as Bokuto had said, but he had not complained. Keiji knew he was being a little clingy, however, the happiness on Bokuto’s face when he went to the effort of learning more about his life and the human world brought a sense of joy to him also.

He’d become privy to a fair share of movies, watching different genres for hours on end. The Disney movies were quite interesting, although he did have a few choice words upon the interpretation of Hercules. He also didn’t mind the superhero movies Bokuto had introduced to him.

His favourites though, had to be the crime and thriller movies. There was something so fascinating about the gut-wrenching suspense, and the gear-turning puzzle solving involved in guessing who the criminal was, or the unexpected twist that would usually occur.

The distractions were more than welcome to block out the white noise in his mind. He almost had no remorse about neglecting his job, especially when Bokuto had gone on and on for hours about the importance of self-care.

Keiji had 24 years of that to make up for.

After spending two hours on the couch preening his feathers - and subsequently, two hours of Keiji shivering under Bokuto’s gentle touch - the pair had left the apartment under the guise of getting fresh air.

Their hands naturally slipped together, swinging between their bodies as they walked. They’d walked around aimlessly, even catching a train deeper into the city to find a nice place to sit down and maybe eat something. Keiji had unintentionally started dragging Bokuto behind him to Little Crow, and once Bokuto had realised how determined the angel had seemed, he’d stayed silent and simply taken in the rare, childish countenance that Keiji was exuding.

Everyone at Little Crow had recognised Keiji, greeting him with welcoming smiles. Bokuto was welcomed in a similar fashion, his reaction to the café almost a replica of the awe that Keiji had experienced on his first visit.

Keiji couldn’t suppress his butterflies in showing the café off to Bokuto. While Bokuto’s apartment was his home on Earth, the café had become somewhat of a safe haven to him. The second place where he’d felt so welcomed by the human world.

“I love this place!” Bokuto had exclaimed as they’d walked up to the counter to place their orders. Keiji had to fight hard to keep the smile off his face.

The pair had settled at his favourite window seat, with Bokuto sharing a story about this one time he’d gone to a bar in college and helped someone who had been uncomfortable with the way their supposed date had been making advances. “So then, I went up to the bartender and asked them to call a cab while I dragged the guy out of the bar and told him to never come back. After that though, I was so scared I was going to lose my scholarship for getting into a fight.”

“Even so, I think that was very wise of you to do,” Keiji commented, sipping at his tea, “I think the person you helped would have been very grateful. It was very courageous, what you did.”

“Thanks ‘kaashi, but you don't have to say that.”

“You're right. I apologise,” he paused, “Should I take it back?” he tilted his head teasingly.

“You don't have to go that far!” Bokuto straightened in alarm.

Keiji took one look at the man’s frantic expression and chuckled, eyes crinkling in his merriment. “I am only joking, Bokuto-san.”

“A-GAA-SHIII...” the other man bemoaned, dragging out the syllables of the angel’s name. He slouched in his seat, his bottom lip pushing out into a pout.

It was in that moment that Keiji’s breath caught, his gaze latching onto those rosy lips, accented by the deep contours of Bokuto’s face as the sunlight hit him from behind. His heart wanted nothing more than to lean over and kiss him, but his mind told him to reign in his desires.

His hand reached out slowly, lifting above the table as Bokuto’s eyes focused on something else outside the window of the café. The moment those golden orbs flickered to look back at him, his hand dropped and fumbled around for his teacup. He hooked his finger around the handle and taking a hasty sip.

The owlish man huffed lightly, turning back to whatever had caught his interest outside. “Oikawa really is human now, isn’t he?”

He raised his eyebrows in confusion. “Hmm?” And it was like déjà vu, the way the pair walked past the window he sat by.

They were side-by-side and Iwaizumi’s head was thrown back with a carefree laugh. Oikawa himself was smiling widely too. The only difference this time was that, their hands were clasped tightly together as they walked, shoulders bumping as they continued down the footpath. When Keiji focused hard enough, he could tell that any divine energy that Oikawa had once possessed was gone.

The angel sighed almost wistfully. “That would be correct, Bokuto-san. He’s nothing but human now. Oikawa-san will have no recollection of being an angel, or the fact that they even exist. If he does enough good deeds for the rest of his mortal life, there’s at least a high chance that he will ascend back up to Heaven when his time expires.” He rested his chin upon the palm of his hand, watching as the couple continued on their way.

“He seems a lot happier now,” Bokuto added, “I think you did the right thing. I mean, just imagine if he stayed a sad angel forever?” His grin, not blindingly bright for once, had Keiji unable to do anything but smile back.

“Thank you Bokuto-san, for being so kind.” he said. His heart felt so full just looking at the man before him. Having Bokuto care and comfort him during his time on Earth was something he truly didn’t deserve. Bokuto was his angel. Keiji took a deep breath, “You make me happy. Happier than I have ever been before.”

Bokuto seemed to drink in his words, mouth dropping open slightly to gape at him, “Akaashi. I want to tell you something. Is that okay?” The angel nodded, a sign for him to continue. Bokuto licked his lips, “Well, it’s…”

“Wait just a second,” Keiji held his hand up suddenly, tilting his head as he tried to sort through the numerous voices in his head. Something was calling out, and although it was quite soft, there was a hint of desperation behind it. He stood from his seat, “I can hear somethi-”

He jolted as a much louder voice boomed in his mind, overshadowing whatever he was already hearing. _[I wish he won’t leave me. I want him to stay.]_

He gasped at how close the voice sounded; how familiar it was. Bokuto was looking at him, with those beautiful, wide orbs of his. “B-Bokuto-san?” he whispered. Confusion swept over him as the voice resounded again and Bokuto leaned closer to him, eyes blown and forlorn.

“Can I be selfish?” he asked nervously, “I want to be selfish, Akaashi.”

A hand gripped tightly onto his sleeve, and Keiji couldn’t help but place his own hand over it. He could feel the sadness - the sheer uncertainty - rolling off Bokuto like waves of emotion. He could feel his own composure breaking, a wetness sliding down his cheek.

“Don’t go, Keiji.” Bokuto’s eyes were shining with tears, “Please stay.”

Keiji didn’t have the words to explain how he felt in that moment. All he could do was nod, reaching forward to press his palm against Bokuto's cheek, wiping the stray tears away with his thumb. “Of course,” he said, “I never want to leave you. I wish I could stay.”

“And I would do anything for that to happen.” Bokuto returned with the most serious tone Keiji had ever heard.

They remained leaning close together for a while, simply staring into each others eyes. They both had things they needed to say, but neither wanted to break the moment. Keiji knew that he had to finally confront his feelings for Bokuto. He had wanted to deny it - and he had for a while. But the swirling storm of emotions he felt whenever he was around the owlish man were something that he could no longer pretend he didn’t understand.

He was someone that Keiji knew he could trust. The he could find comfort in. The person that, if he were human, he would wholly embrace and love until the concept of love ceased to even exist.

His expression and openness was something that Keiji found so endearing, and it was something that Keiji himself had been trained not to do. At first he’d thought that Bokuto was simply a fascinating person, but the more he stood by him and got to know him, Keiji could not help but feel his heart strain to reach out and connect with Bokuto’s.

“Bokuto-san, I…” he finally whispered, breaking the silence between them. A light flashed before their eyes, causing them to squint through the brightness. Bokuto let out a soft gasp as a glow began to surround Keiji, and panic began to spread through his body. He looked at Bokuto almost desperately, holding onto the man’s wrist as if it would keep him grounded, “I think… I think I’m being summoned.”

“What?”

“They’re forcing me to go,” he cried, he clutched tighter onto Bokuto’s shoulders, “But I don’t _want_ to go.”

Bokuto stood so quickly that his chair flipped over and clattered on to the ground. “Wait Keiji, I don’t understand…!” his voice became a distant mumble as Keiji faded from sight, disappearing along with the light.

In the café, the few patrons sitting around turned to him, giggling under their breaths as they pointed out the man who was talking to himself. Bokuto looked down at his hands, noticing that the teacup that Keiji had been using had vanished too. It was like Keiji had never been in the café at all.

*******

When Keiji’s vision cleared, he was right back where the whole situation started; surrounded by bronze statues, ivy walls, and marble pillars. But aura was less welcoming than last time, twelve pairs of eyes facing him with disappointment.

Despite himself, he bowed down on one knee respectfully. He kept his wings carefully tucked behind his back. “Your Lordships,” he greeted with caution.

“Akaashi Keiji, angel born from Barachiel,” The group he faced returned in a similar tone. They all held an air of superiority, and were far more beautiful a creature than any human could dream of. Their wings, toned a creamy white - although not pure in colour - were an indication of their status, “You’ve created quite the disruption for an Angel of Blessings.”

“I understand,” Keiji didn’t bother to deny their statement. Part of him wondered what Bokuto was doing now that he’d disappeared again. He hoped that this time Bokuto could confidently believe in his return.

“Terminating a Guardian Angel without the authorisation to - with a forbidden potion nonetheless - and refusing to properly perform your job,” They listed, “Has brought an imbalance to the world.”

The raven could feel his eyebrows raise, “Well, the world cannot be completely balanced for eternity. I am sure that I am not the only case of disruption to the world’s balance.

One of them pursed their lips. “What has lead you down this path? You had so much potential.”

“I suppose you could say that someone taught me what true freedom tastes like,” he said, “I feel trapped, following your rules. He’s shown me so much that I’ve missed out on, yet there’s still many a thing that I have yet to see and do.”

They all frowned, noting the tone of Keiji’s words. “You’re far too attached to a simple human-being.”

“He’s not _‘simple’_ ,” he retorted, “I believe he’s quite special.” Keiji tilted his chin up, knowing his defiance would only serve to anger the other angels.

“Perhaps we made a mistake, sending you down to Earth thirty summers too young.” They spoke.

“Well, I’ve listened, I’ve understood, and I’ve empathised with humans,” he narrowed his gaze, steel blue glinting with contained anger, “Is that not what you’ve asked for?”

“Blessing humans through the use of those skills do not correlate to forming an attachment to one,” they growled, power crackled in their fists, “We shall send you to work with the Devil if you continue to insult us like this.”

“I am not insulting,” he looked down at his feet. He wiggled his toes, suddenly feeling far too bare, “In all honesty, Your Lordships, I don’t think I make for a very good angel. It was difficult for me to grant even one wish, and even then, I had to break rules to do so. This place… no longer feels like my home.”

All twelve Dominions that were present collectively sighed, “Are you sure your mind is not being clouded by that human?”

“I am positive that I am thinking with my own opinions at this very moment.”

“Then we have no choice but take away your wings and halo. Without your powers, perhaps you will realise that you do not have the same amount of freedom as a human as you would with magic.

Keiji didn’t even consider registering the words they’d said. He had spent so much time cramped up. Burrowed in books, studying and training for a career he had no choice but to follow. He’d never let go to have a little fun. Perhaps it was destined that he would meet Bokuto on his first day on Earth. That he would become so infatuated with a human who had the kindest heart and the brightest soul. Wings meant nothing to him if he could go back to him.

The man’s voice was even whispering in the back of his mind, _[Please stay]_

Keiji looked up sharply, “Then, I suppose his wish will be the last wish I will ever grant,” his eyes narrowing, “Because I choose Bokuto. No matter what, I’ll always pick Bokuto.”

Multiple pairs of eyes stared intently at him, but he didn’t budge. “Very well, as punishment, you shall keep your memories for when you regret your decision. Take it as a reminder of what you could have achieved,” One finally said, lifting their arm as a divine light began to fill their palm, “But remember, God gives all a second chance. Perhaps when your mortal life expires you might be able to find a way to serve him once more.” They pushed the light forward, slowly encasing Keiji. He closed his eyes, unable to see anything but blinding white.

His shoulders ached - a numbing sensation that spread across his back. He supposed that losing his wings was supposed to hurt, but it didn’t. Instead, there was a sense of weightlessness that filled him. A weight off his shoulders.

Moments later, he was falling; the sunny glow of Heaven disappearing the further he fell. But he was happy. This was a decision he didn’t regret. All he could think off was being wrapped up in Bokuto’s warm arms, and being enveloped in that familiar scent that he wanted nothing more than to call home.

The next thing he knew, he was lying prone with the cloudy sky far up above him. He groaned and shifted, only to hear a wheeze from underneath him. “Akaashi…?” a breathless voice rasped.

Keiji felt a sense of dread fill him as he hurried to scramble off Bokuto, hands flying up to cover his mouth as he gasped, “I’m _so_ sorry, Bokuto-san!”

“Nah, don’t sweat it.” The other man quickly recovered and waved him off, though his face was still slightly pale.

“Are you okay?” Keiji asked, reaching out a hand to help lift him up.

“I’m fine, you’re not that heavy!” Bokuto brushed himself off awkwardly, “Nothing’s broken!” He got to his feet and shuffled nervously, waiting for Keiji to say something else.

Keiji looked around, taking in the greenery that surrounded the two, offering them a small amount of privacy. He bit his lip to hide his smile. “Don’t tell me… you were sulking alone in the park this whole time?”

“What?!” Bokuto nearly squawked, a blush forming high on his cheeks as he made a poor attempt to deny Keiji’s words, “No, I wasn’t! I mean, like, I was sad - but I wan’t sulking or anything.”

The raven took a brave step forward into Bokuto’s personal space. He looked up at the man, his sapphire eyes seemingly a warmer blue than the cool tones they usually held, “I’m happy that you were sad,” he announced, watching as Bokuto flinched, “You… care about me, right?” Bokuto nodded, almost bumping heads with the shorter man. He tilted his head bashfully, “Well, I would be really sad if you left me too.”

“I would _never_ leave you.” Bokuto reply was accompanied with a horrified expression. It had tingles shooting right up Keiji’s spine. He decided that he didn’t want to dance around any longer.

Keiji’s lips pulled into a grin, childish and free, “Good. Because I never intend to leave you again, either. I’m staying for good.” Without missing another beat, Keiji rose to the tips of his toes, pushing him an inch closer. Tilting up his chin, he pressed a confident kiss onto Bokuto’s lips. It was brief, but oh so warm, and like he’d finally returned home. He pulled back, “There, now we’ve sealed the deal.”

Bokuto looked flabbergasted, lifting his hands to wrap around Keiji and keep him in place. “W-Wait, I wasn’t ready!” He exclaimed.  

Keiji simply grinned even wider, “I love you.”

“I wasn’t ready for that either!” The other man quickly responded, wrapping his arms around the smaller man, “Kiss me again.”

The pair leaned in.

 

**Author's Note:**

> _“Hey Akaashi, I’ve really got to ask… did it hurt?”_   
>  _“Did what hurt?”_   
>  _“Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?”_
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> I really hope you liked this fic and thank you for reading!  
> Check out or come talk to me on my Tumblr: https://eelora.tumblr.com/


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